barely

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adverb

/ˈbeə(r)li/

1
used for saying that something almost does not happen or exist, or is almost not possible
He was so dizzy he could barely stand.
The roads were barely wide enough for two cars to pass.
There was barely a scratch on his car, but mine was wrecked.
a barely audible whisper
barely able to do something:
He was barely able to see the road in the fog.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of barely
2
used for emphasizing that something happened only a very short time before something else
He barely paused before jumping straight into the water.
The thought had barely come to me before it was gone again.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of barely
3
used for emphasizing how small an amount is
He's barely 12 years old.
They had travelled barely a third of the way.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of barely

This is the British English definition of barely. View American English definition of barely.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

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